The place where we now are is about two hundred and fifty miles from the coast settlements on the Pacific. It is well watered, abundance of grass, and would admit of a small settlement—say one or two hundred families—has a good soil, good water and fuel, but no building timber.
The same remarks would apply to the last stream, fifty-three miles from this, called the Muddy. The Indians already raise wheat and corn there.
Wednesday, 21st—We encamped at a place called Resting Springs, where we arrived on the 19th after dark.
This is a fine place for rest and recruiting animals being a meadow of rich grass and sufficiently extensive to sustain thousands of cattle. The water is sufficient for all travelling purposes, although the stream is small.
Since leaving the Vegas we have travelled seventy-five miles through a most horrible desert, consisting of mountain ridges and plains of naked rock, or sand and gravel, and sometimes clay, destitute of soil or fertility, except a few small springs and patches of grass.
The weather, contrary to our expectations, has been universally cool since we left the Muddy; thick vests, and sometimes coats, have been worn in the noon of a sunny day, and the sun has been sought rather than the shade. The nights have all been cool, and some of them as cold in the middle or latter part of May as the nights usually are in March and April in Great Salt Lake City.
Twenty miles from the Vegas, our camp was assailed in the evening, ten o'clock by a shower of arrows from the savage mountain robbers; some of which passed near men's heads and all fell promiscuously among men, women, children and cattle, but did no injury. Our men mustered and returned the fire without effect.
Afterwards, in the same place, a savage, single handed, made his way among the cattle, in open day, while they were under the care of armed herdsmen and shot an ox and a mule; one was wounded in the hip, and the other in the leg; but they are both doing well.
Friday, 23d.—Provided with water and hay we travelled on fourteen miles. Road heavy, up hill and sandy; day hot. Arrived at Salt Spring gold mines towards evening; water brackish; but answered for stock and use.
After resting for a few hours we started on in the evening and travelled all night, with the exception of short intervals of rest. The hot day and heavy road had so harassed the cattle that we made but little progress.